Cuff link with pivoted head



1950 I E. MOREHOUSE ET AL 2,527,440

CUFF LINK WITH PIVOTED HEAD Filed Dec. 50, 1947 Patented Oct. 24, 1950 CUFF LINK WITH PIVOTED HEAD Eugene Morehouse and Frederick A. Ballou, Jr., Providence, R. L, assignors to B. A. Ballou & C0. Incorporated, a corporation of Rhode Island Application December 30, 1947, Serial No. 794,652

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a cuff link, or particularly to the type of cult link which is utilized for securing together French cuffs, which have buttonholes in each portion of the cuff through which the cuff link extends.

Cuff links of the type herein referred to gen-. erally have a tilting head or a head which will align with the body part of the link so that the same may be readily passed through the buttonholes of the cufi, and then this head may be swung to a position at right angles to the body so as tobe retained in the cult. Cuff links of this character generally provide for some means adjacent the pivot Din of the mounting, of the tilting head to hold the tilting head in different positions. The area about the pivot, however, is very limited for utilization for any means for holding the head in position.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a holding means at the ends of the tilting head for engaging the body to hold the tilting head in a position in alignment with the body for positioning the tilting head through the buttonholes of a cuff.

Another object of this invention is to provide a resilient pin carried by one of the parts to extend into a recess in the other part to maintain the two parts in alignment for positioning the tilting head through the buttonhole in the cuff.

Another object of this invention is to provide a latching arrangement such that when thetilting head is in a position to pass through the buttonhole, it will be held in such position by resilient action which may be very readily released when the parts are positioned in the cuff.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cuff link constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing a part of the link in section;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the body portion of the link with parts partly folded into position during the assembly operations;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of the cufi link;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of this modified form; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the body or arms of the modified form prior to being bent into finished position.

In proceeding with this invention, we provide LII a pair of arms between which a bridging portion extends. At one end of the arms there is a fixed head, while between the arms the tilting head is pivoted. We also provide a means for holding the tilting head in a position in alignment with the arms for passing the tilting head through the buttonhole of the cuff. This means comprises a pin which is mounted in either the tilting head or in the body with the recess in the other part to receive it, and we spring mount this pin so that as the parts are brought into this aligned relation, the spring pin will snap into the recess and hold the head in one position in alignment with the arms for passing through the buttonhole of the cull.

With reference to the drawings; l0 designates generally the body of the link to which there is attached a fixed head ll, such as by soldering the head to the body.

The body IE! is drawn from sheet stock which is bent to provide a pair of arms 12 which extend from a bridging portion I3 between the arms, while wing portions I4 also extend downwardly from this bridging portion l3 so as to provide a housing for a spring and pin which serve as a latch in this construction.

The ends of the wings M are turned inwardly as at I5 and each is provided with half of a circular opening as at I6. When these two lips l5 are brought into engagement, a generally circular opening will be provided through which a pin I! may project. This pin is provided with a collar 18 which is fixed to it to abut the portions I5 and limit its outward movement. A spring [9 encircles the pin bearing against the collar 18 and also against the bridging portion I3 so as to urge the pin outwardly through the opening It just described.

The arms [2 are provided with openings 20 in their ends for the reception of a pin 2|, and a tilting head 22 has an opening 23 through which the pin 2! extends. This pin may be fixed in the arms i2 with the head 22 pivoted thereon, or the pin may be fixed in the head 22 and rotate in the openings 20 as bearings. The tilting head 22 is provided with enlarged ends 24, and in each of these enlarged ends, there is an axially extending recess 25, (see Fig. 2) which will receive the end of the rounded pin IT. This recess is likewise rounded so as to conform to the shape of the end of the pin.

When the head 22 is swung on its pivot so that it aligns with the arms I2, the pin I! will snap into the recess 25 and hold this head in such position of alignment. Pressure on the opposite head 24 of the tiltin head will, of course, release it from position, so that it will extend on either side of the buttonhole of the cuff it has been passed through the buttonhole. These arms [2 may be deflected outwardly as at 26 so as to permit the end portions 24 to freely pass therethrough.

In some cases instead of providing a resilient pin I? in the body, the body may be formed as shown in Fig. 6 where thearms i2 are bent from the bridging portion i3, and wings 28 are provided on the two arms 52 which when bent inwardly, as shown in 4 and 5, will by reason of the notches 29 provided a recess 30, as shown in Fig. 5.

In the construction shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, the tilting head 30' is hollow as at 3!, shown in Fig. 5, and each end of this tiltable head is provided with an opening 32 through each of which openings a pin 33 extends. Each of the pins 33 are provided with a collar 34 which is fixed to the end to limit its outward extent. The pin is pushed outwardly by a coil spring 35 which encircles the pin and abuts the pivot 36 which extends through the head and through the arms [2 for mounting it in position. The pin may be urged inwardly but as soon as pressure is released upon the pin, it will again move outwardly to the position shown in Fig. 5. The pins are each rounded at their outer end as at 3! so that when they have been snapped into the recess 30 they may be readily moved therefrom by pressure on the outer end of the head so as to dislodge the opposite end from the recess 30.

By the arrangement above described, it will be readily apparent that the tilting head may be .4 latched in a position in alignment with the arms l2 or [2 and dislodged from this position after the head has been passed through the buttonholes in a cufi. It will be unnecessary for the tilting head to be locked in a position at right angles to the arms l2 or 12, as the cuff will serve to hold the tilting head in this position by reason of its engagement with the cuff on the opposite sides of the buttonhole.

We claim:

1. In a cuff link, a body having a pair of arms, an elongated head, means to pivotally mount the mid portion of said head between said arms, means to retain said head in alignment with said arms comprising resilient pin and recess means carried by said body and at least one end of said head, one of which means is movable along the longitudinal axis of said head to provide locking relation with the end of the head when said alignment occurs.

2. In a cuiT link as in claim 1 wherein said pin is axially movable and a spring urges said pin into locking position.

EUGENE MOREHOUSE. FREDERICK A. BALLOU, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,184,812 Berger May 30, 1916 2,093,723 Hone Sept. 21, 1937 2,123,790 Mix July 12, 1938 2,186,955 Bullock Jan. 16, 1940 

